The Department of Internal Medicine participates in the student's didactic undergraduate medical education throughout the four years at AZCOM. The first year involves instruction in patient care experiences, including instruction in history and physical examinations. Clinical cases are also introduced by the faculty in collaboration with the Graduate Studies faculty, during the first year, to facilitate integration of clinical relevance to basic science concepts. Second year students are given presentations in Cardiology, Pulmonology, Neurology, Rheumatology, and Gastroenterology facilitated through the Introduction to Clinical Medicine (ICM) course. Faculty members collaborate with the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in using clinical case correlates to demonstrate key principles as they relate to clinical care. Faculty participate in the Patient Care Experience (PCE) course with direct video monitoring of students, debriefing of their patient encounters, and SOAP note grading. Faculty also provide problem-oriented presentations prior to student participation in disease-specific Observed Structured Clinical Exam (OSCE) experiences. The department is responsible for the required core clinical clerkship rotations in Internal Medicine during the third year in both residency and preceptor-based General Internal Medicine, as well as Cardiology.  During the fourth year, Critical Care, and one rotation within a medical subspecialty are offered. Third year rotations consist of office-based, hospitalist-based, and residency-based rotation opportunities.  Elective rotations are also available in third year in Hematology/Oncology, Rheumatology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Cardiology, Allergy and Immunology, Sports Medicine, Geriatrics, and Hospice Care. Fourth year elective rotations are available in Pulmonology, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Endocrinology, and Critical Care.